Backcountry camping permit fee in RMNP going up next summer

Backcountry camping in Rocky Mountain National Park will get a little more expensive come next summer.

Beginning March 1, 2019, for the summer season, the cost of obtaining a permit for backcountry camping, which was first established by the park in 1995, will increase from $26 to $30 per trip, according to park officials.

The cost was last increased in 2015.

According to park officials, permits for backcountry camping are an integral part of a program that rations and distributes use throughout the park's backcountry. Permits are intended to help provide a quality experience, minimize impacts to resources and ensure that sites are available.

Overnight permits are required by the park for backcountry camping year-round, though the fee to obtain a permit only applies from May to October, when demand typically exceeds availability.

Different from an entrance fee or fee for camping in a developed campground, the backcountry permit is based on cost recovery and all funds are applied directly to the costs of administering the program, according to the park.